Raphinha injury is a shame – Barcelona president

Barcelona president Joan Laporta has strongly criticized FIFA following the injury sustained by Brazilian forward Raphinha during an international friendly, describing the situation as “a shame” and blaming the congested football calendar.

Reacting to the incident, Joan Laporta voiced his frustration over what he sees as poor scheduling by football authorities, stressing that more attention should be given to top clubs whose players are regularly called up for international matches.

“Raphinha’s injury is a shame. In my opinion, FIFA must organize its calendar taking into account that our players compete at the highest level for major clubs,” Laporta stated.

The Barcelona president highlighted the nature of the match in which the injury occurred, emphasizing that it was not a competitive fixture. “It was just a friendly match, and then one of the team’s best players suffers an injury. Of course, it is very annoying for all of us,” he added.

Laporta, however, refrained from placing blame on players representing their countries, acknowledging their professionalism and commitment. Instead, he pointed to the increasingly demanding football schedule as the root cause of such incidents.

“You cannot blame the players. They are professionals who always give their best for their national teams. But the real issue is the crowded schedule, especially at a crucial stage of the season when we are competing for everything. It is truly infuriating,” he said.

The development is expected to raise further debate about player welfare and fixture congestion, a growing concern among top European clubs and football stakeholders.